competition, while seeking to nurture.
Miller (1991) found that society often scripts women for passive roles and men for dominant roles in interpersonal situations through a process described by gender role theory.á Buunk (1990) found that, even when individuals are involved in interpersonal situations wherein control by societal scripting is not present, one party in the conflict situation often assumes that such societal scripting is present in the other party.á Peterson and Peterson (1990) found that such perceptions about the other party in an interpersonal situation strongly influence the decision of the party making such a perception to either confront or avoid conflict.
Bem (1981) postulated that the scripting of females in Western society to assume submissive roles begins in childhood and continues through adulthood.á Scripted gender role norms according to Bem's (1981) postulation include dominance, competence, strength, and independence for males, whereas dependence, helpfulness, self-sacrifice, and emotionality are deemed app
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